Simply put, it’s one of the coolest things I’ve experienced in Las Vegas. That’s the easiest explanation. But to really know what Lost Spirits Distillery at Area15 is, one really needs to go and experience it for themselves. Until then, here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll encounter.
Lost Spirits Distillery’s main function is making booze; lots of award-winning booze. And guests are privy to the booze-making process by touring the facilities. But the tour is not your typical distillery tour … oh no, definitely not.
“I thought, ‘What if you could make the boat ride for the Pirates of the Caribbean, but you could fix the ride by making it so you could stop the boat and get out and drink with the pirates?’” said Bryan Davis, co-founder, inventor and CEO of Lost Spirits Distillery. He has a background in amusement park design and an art degree—his combined love for these mediums shines through in the most spectacular ways.
While guests are privy to the spirit-making process and the rooms (one filled to the brim with barrels of rum) and labs associated with the process—you are also able to check out a patented contraption invented by Davis that speeds up the process of aging alcohol—visually this is where the technical parts of the tour stops. The rest of the tour, led by extremely knowledgeable and animated guides, is stuff of fantasy—fantastic worlds to discover while tasting Lost Spirits’ different bottled products.
You’re led through spots like the Admiral’s Quarters, where you try Navy rum and learn a little bit about alcohol’s history. You can sip on some Cuban-style rum while inside Little Havana, where the coolest holograms perform some musical numbers.
“Travel” by submarine to the depths of the sea and dock inside a beautiful and haunting nautical-style lounge, where you can converse and sip on the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea rum. Wander through The Village and stop into spots like the Dorian Gray bar—inspired by the opium-fueled dens in the classic novel—and try the Framboise raspberry brandy.
“We might be the only serious distillery that doesn’t take itself too seriously,” Davis said. “For our guests, we make sure that whatever we do at Lost Spirits Distillery that guests (have) never seen anything like it before; more than anything else, that’s the driver.”
Area15, 3215 S. Rancho Drive. area15.com
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